By Hosanna Eseose
Brazil have surrendered their long-standing position as the highest-scoring nation in FIFA World Cup history after Germany overtook them following a commanding 7-1 victory over Curacao.
The record changed hands on Sunday after Germany’s emphatic win in their World Cup opener saw them reach a total of 239 goals in the history of the tournament, surpassing Brazil’s tally of 238.
Kai Havertz played a key role in the historic achievement, scoring twice, including Germany’s seventh goal of the match, which secured the new record. Felix Nmecha, Nico Schlotterbeck, Jamal Musiala, Nathaniel Brown and Denis Undav also found the net in the one-sided encounter.
Brazil had briefly strengthened their record a day earlier when Vinicius Junior scored in a 1-1 draw against Morocco, taking the Seleção’s World Cup goal tally to 238.
However, Germany’s goal spree against Curacao moved them one goal clear at the top of the all-time scoring chart.
Despite losing the record, Brazil could quickly reclaim the feat when they face Haiti in their next Group C match on Friday. Germany, meanwhile, will look to extend their lead when they take on Ivory Coast on Saturday.
The battle between two of world football’s most successful nations has added another intriguing dimension to the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with the race for the all-time goals record now firmly in the spotlight.